Mosquitos are an issue in Hampton Roads every summer. This year, with the dangers surrounding the Zika Virus, McDonald Garden Center has taken action to find the solutions that will help our customers enjoy their normal gardening and outdoor activities. Here’s what we discovered:
GET THE SKINNY ON ‘SKITOS - the most important part of controlling mosquitos is to understand how they find us in the outdoors. Typically mosquitos will hide in large shrubs and shady locations during the heat of the day. From there, they have three ways of detecting humans: chemical sensors, visual sensors and heat sensors. The chemical sensors can sense carbon dioxide through the wind from over 100 feet away; this is what draws them out of hiding when they sense you are around. They can also find you through visual sensors, although there is little you can do to prevent them from seeing you, unless you stand still and wear the same color clothing as your surroundings. As they get close they also can sense your body heat.
SPRAY THE DAY AWAY - the sprays you spray on your skin and clothing help confuse these sensors and aide it keeping them away. The active ingredient is called “DEET” (chemical name, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). DEET has still been proven to be the most effective at confusing these sensors. Organic solutions are getting better, by using natural oils from plants that help confuse their sensors. Organic sprays may need to be sprayed more often to keep them away as they don’t last as long as DEET will. As well as spraying your skin and clothing, spraying the yard and surrounding shrubs will also aide in preventing the mosquitos from finding you, Below you will find more detail on these products.
PEST FIGHTING PLANTS - when using insect repelling plants, candles, or torches, knowing where they are coming from and the wind direction will help you determine the best areas for these to be placed. Most people will place the repellants in a space that will blow through the area they are in, when in actuality it is better to have them placed behind you, this will act as a blocker of your scents that attract mosquitos. When they blow through your scent it mixes in with the repellant scent and is still detectable. Typically our wind direction is from east to west. More specifically in the summer it is from the southeast to the northwest.
To keep it simple, determine the wind direction and repel from behind you down wind, NOT through you.
Below is a list of the products McDonald Garden Center carries that will help control the mosquito’s while still being able to enjoy the outdoors:
ORGANIC SOLUTIONS:
- MOSQUITO BEATER NATURAL H/E - this is an all natural spray that will repel mosquito’s, gnats and flies from any outdoor area and is safe to spray on plants, patios and lawns. It has a residual effect that can last up to 2 weeks and the one bottle will treat up to 5,000 sq ft. Pleasantly scented and made from cedar oil, citronella, geranium oil and lemongrass oil.
- ORGANIC MOSQUITO PERSONAL SPRAY - an organic small personal spray that you can spray on your skin or clothing that will protect and repel from mosquito bites, 2oz size fits in your pocket or purse easily and has up to 200 individual pumps, DEET-free, and a refreshing lemon scent.
- MOSQUITO REPELLING PLANTS - citronella geranium, lemongrass, mint, marigolds, wax myrtle and more are all plants that can be used around the yard to help repel the mosquitos. These plants contain oils that inhibit the mosquito from smelling your scent. Leaves can be crushed and then used directly on the skin or plants can be placed on patios or sitting areas to help keep them away.
- MOSQUITO DUNKS - a biological and organic solution to killing the larvae of mosquitos. They can be used in fountains, ponds, or any water garden feature, as it will not harm fish, pets, birds, humans, or any other wildlife.
- BUG BUSTER-O or ROSE / FLOWER SPRAY or TAKE DOWN SPRAY
- all part of the new Monterey Organic line of solutions, all have pyrethrin in them which is derived from a plant extract and proven to kill mosquitos and other listed insects. All products OMRI Listed.
TRADITIONAL SOLUTIONS:
- OFF DEEP WOODS 8OZ BONUS SIZE - research shows that DEET is still the best and most effective way of keeping mosquito’s and other insects from biting. The EPA has not identified any risks of using DEET, while some research has shown using products with 30% or less DEET is recommended,- Deep Woods is 25%
- MOSQUITO AND GNAT BARRIER - residual insecticide that can last up to four weeks, spray vertical plants, large shrubs and wooded areas to prevent mosquito’s as well as many other insects, including ticks and fleas, permethrin.
- BROAD SPECTRUM AND BUG BLASTER SPRAYS - one of the longest residual insecticides on the market, which can last up to 6-8 weeks on plants and up to 8 months in soil. Both products have Bifenthrin in it, but the broad spectrum is much less concentrated and therefore is safer on edible plants. This will also cut the residual effect it may have. However a $9.99 hose end concentrate will work well to keep mosquitos away and is very economical. The Bug Blaster is much stronger with a very high residual effect and is great for fleas, ticks and mosquitos, as well as other insects around the home and in the landscape and lawn.
- OTHER INSECTICIDES: - malathion, pyrethrin and deltamethrin have all shown similar results as well to killing mosquito’s, however have been found to become less effective on
Fell free to chose more than one solution to aid in effectiveness and remember, education if the first step to living a pest-free life. Good luck and enjoy the rest of the summer!
Be sure to check out our Mosquito Repelling Workshop this Saturday, July 23, 11AM, at all locations. Learn more at https://www.mcdonaldgardencenter.com/events/mosquito-repelling-planter-w...